Oil dipper for automatic lubricating boxes of bearings



Dec. 1933- E. FRUHSTORFER 1,938,250

OIL DIPPER FOR AUTOMATIC LUBRICATING BOXES OF BEARINGS Filed Nov. 21, 1929 EdgarFru/hstor er,

Patented Dec. 5, 1933 PATENT OFFICE OIL DIPPER FOR AUTOMATIC LUBRICATING BOXES 0F BEARINGS Edgar Fruhstorfer, Geneva, Switzerland, ass'ignor to Isothermos Corporation of America, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 408,864, and in Switzerland July 27, 1929 10 Claims.

This invention relates to an oil dipper for automatic lubricating boxes of bearings having an oil bath wherein the ends of the dipper extend.

The dippers hitherto used in boxes of the said type have had the form of a plate bent in a suitable manner, the ends of the dipper usually having had a general rectangular or trapezoidal shape and having been provided with or without dripping points to insure delivery of the oil to the parts to be lubricated. It has, however, been noticed that under certain conditions, it was difficult to obtain sufficient lubrication, these conditions depending on the one hand on 'the nature of the lubricant and onthe other hand on the speed of rotation of the dipper.

The present invention has for its general object to provide adipper which will insure, under all conditions, copious lubrication to the Ibearing. In order to obtain this result, there is provided on each end of therdipper an edge along which the dripping is produced by gravity when the dipper does not rotate quickly enough to cause, by the action of centrifugal force, the projection of the Whole of the lubricant adhering to its-faces. According'to the present invention, the dripping edges of the two opposed ends of the dipper are substantially perpendicular relatively to each other.

Experience has proved that for all types of dippers having two dipping parts of an analogous. or substantially analogous shape, there exists a critical speed of rotation, dependent upon the shape of the dipper and upon the vi."- cosity of the lubricant and the speed of rotation of the dipper, at which lubrication is no longer effected with all the desired security owing to the fact that the dripping is not effected at the desired moment for enabling a sufficient quantity of lubricant to reach the parts to be lubricated.

An attempt has been made to remedy this disadvantage by producing unsymmetrical clippers relative to the shape or form of the dipping parts and relative to the distance of these parts from the axis of rotation of the dipper. Notwithstanding these precautions, however, the above-mentioned disadvantages have not been completely eliminated because the fact was not.

taken into consideration that if the dripping becomes defective at a given moment, for instance, along an edge disposed perpendicularly with relation to the median plane of the dipper, it may at the same moment be made perfectly 21, 1929, Serial No.

normal along an edge disposed parallel to the same plane.

Experience. has proved that the best results are obtained by arranging the dripping edges of the two opposed ends of the dipper perpendicularly with relation to each other. a

The annexed drawing represents, by way of example, a constructional form of the subject matter or the invention and some modifications in detail.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an oil dipper constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of one side portion of a dipper of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2, illustrating a slight modification.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 another slight modification; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating a further modification.

The dipper, comprises a main part or bod 10, the end portions of which are extended laterally as at 11 and then outwardly parallel to the plane of the body to provide the clipping members indicated as 12, 12. One of the members 12 has a general rectangular form or shape while the other has the general form or shape of a segment- The outer curved edge 13 of the segmental 'member 12 has as its center the axis,

illustrating of rotation of the dipper which is coincident with the axis of the axle A to the end of which the dipper is secured, while the inner straight edge or chord 14 limiting the said segment is perpendicular to the median plane of the dipper. The chord extends normally through the meeting point of the parts 11 and 12, but according to requirements, it may, of course, be displaced upwards as indicated by broken lines 15 or downwards as indicated by mixed lines 16 Fig. 3.

The operation of this dipper, when the same does not rotate with sufficient speed to cause oil adhering to its faces to be projected therefrom under the action of centrifugal force, is as follows: Assuming that the dipper rotates in the direction of the arrow 1'7, a stream of oil flows from the segmental dipping part 12 from its point 18 beginning at the time said dipping part leaves the bath of oil 0 in the bottom of the journal box B and until the median plane of the dipper reaches substantially the vertical position shown, the oil under the combined action of gravity and centrifugal force flowing towards the said end point 18 of the dipping member.

The dripping is produced from this moment and in the same manner along the edge 14 disposed between the end 18 and the point 19 in the form of a regular stream, until the median plane of the dipper reaches substantially a horizontal position. The regular stream flowing along the edge 14 is obtained on account of the perpendicular position of this edge relative to the median plane of the dipper and the proportions of the dipping surface, taking into consideration the time necessary for the lubricant to flow by gravity along them and to reach the edge l819 at relatively low speeds of the dipper.

When the speed of rotation increases, there is a moment when the action of the centrifugal force is sufficient to prevent partially or even entirely the dripping from taking place under the described conditions on the aforesaid segmental dipping part 12.

The dipping part 12' at the other end of the dipper functions in an entirely different manner. At low speeds, as the clipping part 12 emerges from the oil, the oil stream first is discharged from the outer trailing corner. As the dipper reaches a horizontal position, the discharge takes place from some point along dripping edge 14, and the point of discharge reaches the inner trailing corner of 14 when the dipper approaches the vertical position. When the speed increases, centrifugal force drives the oil towards the circumference of 12, and at a certain critical speed or speed range very little oil is discharged from the dipper onto the bearing.

Thus, while each dipping part has a critical speed, the two critical speeds do not coincide, due to the different shape and arrangement of the dripping parts 12, 12'. Therefore, an un interrupted flow of lubricant at all speeds is assured.

When the speed of rotation of the dipper is sufficiently high for causing the projection of the lubricant by the action of centrifugal force against the walls of the axle box, there is formed all along the dipper and in the plane of the dipping ends thereof a jet of lubricant which is collected by the walls of the box and led by suitable means to the parts to be lubricated.

Instead of giving one of the dipping ends of the dipper the form or shape of a segment as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it may be given another form or shape, for instance, the form of a triangle 20 as shown in Figure 6, the base edge 21 of this triangle forming in this case a dripping edge disposed perpendicularly with relation to the median plane of the dipper. If necessary, the lateral ends of the triangle may, for instance, be intersected as indicated by broken lines 22. In all the modifications, the bent part 11 of the dipper may be disposed at right angles with relation to the body 10 thereof as shown in Figure 4, or it may be inclined relatively to the said body so as to form between the parts 11 and 12 an acute angle constituting a drip, as shown in Fig. 2.

The dippers as described above are very easily made since they may be cut or stamped from thin plate, the thickness of which is determined by the dimensions of the dipper while taking into consideration that the latter must not be deformed in any way even at high speeds.

A triangular notch 23 may be provided in the outer edge 13 of the segmental dripping part 12 as shown in Fig. 3 so as to form two points 24 adapted to facilitate the projection of the oil under the action of centrifugal force. For the same purpose, as illustrated in Fig. 5, there may be provided on the edge 13 one or more projections 25 terminating in a point.

In order to prevent deformation of the dipper, same may be reinforced by suitable ribs or flanges (not shown).

When the dripping edges are not rectilinear, the curves are so selected that for corresponding points of the two extremities, the tangents are relatively perpendicular.

It is understood that the edges'of the dipper may be partially or completely beveled.

Also it will be understood that the segmental dripping part 12 may be used at both ends of the body 10. That is to say, both arms of the dipper may be in the form of segments, the dripping edges of which are substantially perpendicular to the median longitudinal line of the dipper.

I claim:

1. A dipper adapted to be secured to an axle for rotation therewith to dip into oil in an axle box and to elevate and deliver oil to the'axle bearing, and dipping members at the ends of said dipper, respectively, each having a dripping edge, the dripping edge of each member being disposed at substantially right angles to: the dripping edge of the other member.

2. A dipper adapted to be secured to an axle for rotation therewith to dip into oil in an axle box and to elevate and deliver oil to the axle bearing, and dipping members at the ends. of said dipper, respectively, each having a dripping edge, the dripping edge of each member being disposed at substantially right angles to the dripping edge of the other member, one of said.

disposed at substantially right angles to' the' dripping edge of the other member, one of said members having the general form or shape of a segment, the center of the curved edge of which is coincident with the center of rotation of the dipper.

4. A dipper adapted to be secured to an axle for rotation therewith to dip into oil in an axle box and to elevate and deliver oil to the axle bearing, and dipping members at the ends of said dipper, respectively, each having a dripping edge, the dripping edge of each member being disposed at substantially right angles to the dripping edge of the other member, one of said members having the general form or shape of a triangle.

5. A dipper adapted to be secured to an axle for rotation therewith to dip into oil in an axle box and to elevate and deliver oil to the axle bearing, and dipping members at the ends of said dipper, respectively, each having a dripping edge, the dripping edge ofeach member being disposed at substantially right angles to the dripping edge of the other member; said dipping members being laterally offset with respect to the body portion of the dipper so as to extend across the end of the bearing.

6. A dipper according to claim 2 wherein the segmental dipping part thereof has its curved edge provided with a formation providing a sharp point to facilitate the projection of the lubricant under the action of centrifugal force.

7. A dipper according to claim 2 wherein a triangular notch is formed in the curved edge of the segmental dipping part.

8. A dipper adapted to be secured to an axle for rotation therewith to dip into oil in an axle box and to elevate and deliver oil to the axle bearing, and dipping members at the ends of said dipper each having a dripping edge, the dripping edge of, one of said members being disposed at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the dipper, and the dripping edge of the other member being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the dipper.

9. A dipper adapted to be secured to an axle for rotation therewith to dip into oil in an axle box and to elevate and deliver oil to the axle bearing, comprising a body portion, dipping members at the ends of said body portion laterally ofiset with respect thereto, one of said dipping members being in the form of a segmental plate having an outer curved edge and an inner straight dripping edge disposed at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body portion, the other of said dipping members being of substantially rectangular shape and having side dripping edges disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body portion.

10. A rotatable dipper of the class described comprising a body portion having a plurality of angularly related radial arms, said arms having dipping members of difierent shapes, the dipping member of at least one of said arms having its dripping edge disposed substantially parallel to its direction of motion, and the dipping member of at least one of said arms having its dripping edge disposed substantially perpendicular to its directionof motion.

EDGAR FRUHSTORFER. 

